Between Two Fires ORIGINAL
by Raven Catz
Summary: When two girls lives are turned upside down by tragedy, can MacGyver save them from being caught between two fires? The original version of this story I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2004.
1. Part One

Between Two Fires

A fic by: Megan Gallagher

I was curled in the corner of the temp. room of the Challenger's Center, sobbing. The thought had finally occurred to me. After nearly a whole numb month, it finally hit me. I had lost everything. My sister and I were alone in the world, and I no longer had control in my life. The tears I shed could have put out the fire... If only I had cried them then. My family... save my sister, Robyn, had died in the fire that night. Ironically enough, I lost my sister that night, too.

Truth be told, I shouldn't have even ended up here. The Challenger's Center, I mean... I was nearly 21, and though they would take you in no matter what, I felt out of place. But I had to do something with my sister, and I had no where else to go.

In the days after the fire, Robyn became quiet, secret, forlorn. I was known as a dreamer, but Robyn had lived in a blissfully innocent world of her own for almost 16 years. She was still naïve, still child-like... She needed someone to protect her, and somehow, in those first few days, I had already failed her in that.

In those first, hazy days, when the smoke had cleared from my mind, and flames still roared in my nightmares, I saw my sister changing. Her moods had gone from quiet, reserved, and upset, and I feared that she might be forgetting our parents, and slipping away into her fantasy dreams. She had always been the one to create some wild dream to replace any pain in her life...

He had come strolling into our life, almost immediately, it seemed. He was soft-spoken, sweet, caring. He had lost a daughter in much the same way we had lost our parents, and he had the scars to prove it, both emotionally, and physically... His name was Murdoc, and from the moment I met him, I knew he was a liar. But Robyn had succumbed to his charms, his saccharine- sweet lies, and ran to him as to the father she still should have had. I couldn't remove from her the last link to the world. It would destroy her utterly, and as my last living relative, I couldn't bear to hurt her again... so soon.

So there I was. Sobbing, frustrated, and at the complete end of my rope. I didn't know what to do anymore. I had no one to ask for advice, like I once had. In my heart I knew that taking Robyn away would destroy her, but to have to live, enduring Murdoc, his lies, and his affections... I couldn't do that. Not even for my sister.

When the door opened, I didn't even notice.

"Sorry... Wrong room..."

The first thing I saw was his hair. A mop of shaggy, blonde hair. Then worried brown eyes. No, chocolate- amber eyes, staring at my pitiful form curled tight as a frightened hedgehog on the bed.

"You ok..?"

"Of course." I sniffled, wiping tears from reddened eyes, and trying to gain some measure of dignity.

"You need someone to talk to?"

"No. I'm fine. Really." I lied pitifully.

"Alright then..." The stranger said, doubtfully. "Well, the name's MacGyver. I'm here all the time. If you ever want someone to talk to, you can always talk to me."

I sighed. "I'm Phoenyx. Phoenyx Jackson."

"Phoenyx..." He chuckled quietly.  
"What?"

"Nothing. I, uh... I hope I see you around. Phoenyx."

He smiled, a funny, quirked, almost sideways smile, and ducked from the room, closing the door behind him. He had been everything Murdoc advertised himself to be, but modest, genuine. I felt the briefest of urges to call him back, but to say what? And as I sat alone in the corner, letting the tears flow back into my eyes, I wondered, Why couldn't he have been around when my sister needed someone?

_Starstarstar_

Hours later, I found myself back in the dismal little room of the Challenger's Center, after a long, lonely dinner. I had avoided Murdoc and my sister like a plague that day. Murdoc was the last thing I needed. He, along with my sister's insistence that he wanted to help us, and that I was imagining everything, and that I wanted her to sit around moping about our family when there was nothing to be done about them... All I could think about was getting away.

The knock came just as I was pushing away the thoughts of Robyn. The door opened.

"Phoenyx? You didn't join us for dinner. I thought we had plans. You're sister was very upset."

"I didn't feel up to coming." I growled shortly.

Murdoc gave an almost convincing look of disappointment. "You shouldn't do that to your sister, you know. You're the only one she has left. She needs you, Phoenyx. I can't help her alone." He approached the bed, sat down.

I moved away, doing my best to conceal revulsion. "I couldn't come. I just..." I trailed off. He had slung one arm across my shoulders. "I just... I couldn't. I didn't feel well. It would do her no good to see me unwell."

It was almost a relief when Murdoc stood to leave. But just as he went to turn away, he seemed to think better of himself, and turned back, lifting my chin with one hand.

"You know, if you need anything. Anything at all, I'll be right here." He smiled, but the cold emptiness of his eyes gave him away all too well.

"I'll be fine," I hissed, lifting my chin from his grasp. A flame flickered in his eyes for a moment, but was quickly concealed.

"As you wish..."

As he strode out the door, I allowed my shoulders to slump, angry tears welling in my eyes. Why, why did they have to leave me? Why did they have to leave me, thrusting me into his arms... his bed? A wave of nausea swept over me, the skin on the back of my neck creeping. God forbid I was ever abandoned completely. I lay down to sleep, now beyond the ability to care that he was still peering through the crack of my door.

_Starstarstar_

Phoenyx woke the next morning, stretched, and crawled from her bed. Sleep had been riddled with nightmares. She was personally glad she hadn't woken next to Murdoc, as she had in many of her visions. She had woken screaming just hours before to nightmares of him laughing madly while sitting on the front steps of her burning house. He had grabbed her, pulling her in, keeping her from escaping. Her eyes had opened on the darkness beyond only when flames were licking at her feet.

She knew what she had to do. It was either suffer and try to carry on alone, or attempt to find a landline. Someone to keep her from slowly going mad, or worse, from damaging herself, her sister, or Murdoc.

She found MacGyver leaning against the front desk. He was grinning, speaking to the secretary. He looked out of place, so cheerful and perfect. She steadied her nerves and approached him. As his deep chocolate eyes fell on her face, she felt the slightest twinge of embarrassment for being so weak as to need help from a total stranger. But his smile broadened, and he approached, white sneakers squeaking quietly on the much- traversed tile floor.

"What can I do for ya?" He asked, cocking his head to one side.

"I need to talk to someone. You're the first one I could think of... the only one I could think of, actually." She ran her fingers embarrassedly through her messy reddish hair, looking at her feet.

"... Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No, but I'm supposed to be meeting my sister and... I'm supposed to have breakfast with my sister." She sighed. "I missed dinner with her last night, but... I don't think I can make myself go. It's not because I don't want to see her... Look, there's this guy, and he's been pretty nice to us... to her, she needs someone to take care of her... But he gives me a bad feeling, like he's not genuine. I'd like to avoid him as much as possible, but I can't ask my sister to just give up the life she's rebuilding. She already blames everything on me..."

"Why don't you trust him?"

"It's not like I think my sister's life is in danger, or anything... It's just that, well, he... creeps me out. He's always around, not doing anything in particular, but I think he's been... watching me." Her voice dropped to a whisper.

MacGyver took her by the arm, leading her off toward her room.

"This isn't the place to be discussing this. Especially if you think he's following you." He hissed quietly. His eyes softened, and he led her into her room, and shut the door. He peeked out the window, poked around the closet, and when he was finally satisfied she wasn't being listened to, he took a seat on the very end of the bed.

"What is it you do, Mr. MacGyver?" Phoenyx asked, watching his search.

"I work for an organization called the Phoenix Foundation." He said with a grin.

"Phoenix..." She smiled in understanding. "How ironic."

"It's a governmental think tank. We deal mostly with environmental issues, but every so often, we get to deal with classified stuff. That's when the fun begins."

"Somehow, I knew I could trust you."

MacGyver smiled.

"Well, I think we can talk now. I think your room's pretty much safe."

"He's always around. He's always watching me. He keeps telling me he can't help my sister on his own. He needs my help. I should be more around. I should be more supportive. I should spend more time with them. I should come talk to him. I should go to dinner with him so he can 'tell me what he needs me to do.' He's always lurking in some dark corner, as if waiting to jump out and... I don't want to think about it. And I keep having to tell myself that my sister is happy. He's been marvelous with her. He truly cares about helping her, somehow I know that. But he scares me. And then I have to tell myself that I shouldn't let my personal worries interfere with my sister and her wellbeing. I have to do what's best for her. Even if I feel I personally am in danger."

"You shouldn't have to feel that way. That's not the only solution. You know that, inside. You just can't seem to think of a better option."

"Why couldn't we have met you?"

A silence ensued.

"Maybe because all this stress will lead to some miraculous ending..." MacGyver said quietly. "By the way, who is this guy, anyway? Maybe I can talk to him... get his act together."

"Murdoc." Phoenyx said simply.

MacGyver's face blanched white. He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"What?"

"Now, I can't be certain this is the same guy, but I knew a Murdoc once, and he was a murderer..."

_Starstarstar_

"A... Murderer?" No. I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it. Murdoc, the man who had taken in my sister when no one else could? Sure he was creepy, but a murderer? He couldn't be. I refused to believe it. I looked back at MacGyver for confirmation. It was no joke.

"You really think my sister is... At breakfast with a murderer? I have to go get her!" I pulled away and strode to the door, before MacGyver pulled me back.

"No. He doesn't work that way. He's quiet, sneaky. He won't strike until he's sure no one is watching. You usually don't even notice him until he's already shot you..."

"How do you know about him?"

"I've killed him before... Seven times before, actually. He's unusual. Like a cockroach, impossible to kill." MacGyver looked at me, his eyes were duller, almost deeper brown. "He's come after me seven times. I've escaped barely seven times. If he knows I've been around you, he'll try to use you to get to me. You never saw me, and if he asks, you don't know a MacGyver."

I nodded mutely. Wonderful. My life had taken so many turns since the fire... First I lost my parents, then my sister, then I gained a homicidal maniac who was bent on killing the one sane person I seemed to know. Worst of all, said homicidal maniac had turned whatever affection he could muster on me... How was I expected to do well by my sister, and save her from the one person she was opening up to?

"I think maybe I should be alone for awhile. I need to think."

He looked at me, almost sadly. I knew he wanted to help me, but face it, what could he do?

"I'll be around if you need me. Promise me you'll talk to me again. I'll do my best to help you and your sister..."

As he walked away, I looked sadly down the hall after him. I knew my only real chance for help was walking away down the hall, but I had to digest what he had told me. Murdoc, a murderer. Murdoc, the man who I had known was a liar, and yet... I had hoped so badly he would do my sister a world of good. But if he was who MacGyver said he was... I had to get her out of there. And fast.

_Starstarstar_

"Phoenyx, don't start this with me again!" My sister was giving me that look again. "I know you don't like him, but leave him alone! What's he done to you?"

"What has he done to me? Robyn, the man watches me while I sleep! I think I deserve to be a little worried about him!"

"If you're asleep, how do you know he watches you?"

"I know, Robyn. I know." I looked at her pleadingly.

"Just because he isn't DAD... he's not a creep! Jesus, Phoenyx, stop it! Just because you hate MEN so much!.."

"Robyn!" I couldn't believe her nerve.

"Fine! If you don't believe me, Fine. But when I go mysteriously missing, or end up dead in some park somewhere, I'M BLAMING YOU!"

"YOU CAN'T BLAME ME IF YOU'RE DEAD!"

I stormed from her room, tears stinging my eyes. I needed to find MacGyver. Make Robyn see reason. Of course, the first person I ran into had to be Murdoc.

"Phoenyx..." He stopped short, his eyes sweeping me, as if sizing me up.

I nodded quietly

"You missed breakfast again. We haven't seen you in days. Are you alright? Do you need someone to talk to?" His voice was as silky as a serpent's belly.

"I'm fine." I growled through gritted teeth.

"Please. You know I want to help you." He was lying through his teeth now, and I knew it.

"Come on you liar." I thought venomously "Just try something. Try something and give me the excuse to throw you to the police."

"You know I will always be there for you, Phoenyx. Whatever you need. Anything at all. Just ask. I aim to please you know..."

He was sickening me now. I had to get away from him. All the while he was slowly edging me back. Into a corner. I was slowly being trapped, and I knew it.

"I, uh... I have to go. I have something to do."

"Nonsense... I'm sure it can wait. May I speak to you? Alone?"

"Really, I'm actually kind of busy..."

His expression finalized the conversation.

"Right. I guess it can wait until later..." And with that, I followed him gloomily into an empty game room, and shut the door behind me, a cold feeling of dread crawling along my spine. A hand trailed lazily across my shoulders and came to rest, pulling me much too close for comfort.

"I'm getting worried about you, Phoenyx. You're never around. You seem so distant... Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Nothing." I fought to remain calm.

"Good. I sincerely hope all is well with you. I care, Phoenyx. I know you don't think I do, but I do. I want the best for you and your sister. I only wish you would open up to me. I can't help your sister without you, and I can't help you if you won't let me in." His silk smooth voice was lulling me like a bobbing cobra. If only I could stay alert enough to prepare for the strike. I could literally feel all my senses shutting down. I HAD to stay alert.

"Your sister says you don't trust me..." He was barely whispering now.

"You don't need to be afraid to trust me. You can just open up. Let go..."

I could swear he was bobbing like a cobra now.

"Look at me. Trust me. I have nothing to hide." The whisper was almost singsong now. I was falling. I was failing and I knew it.

"I need you Phoenyx. I need you to trust me. I can't help you if you don't trust me..."

"I..."

He leaned closer to me, anticipating.

"I... can't..."

The look of hurt in his eyes was almost genuine. I almost felt badly for him. I knew it was part of the magic he had woven, but all the same. That little part of me, the part I had always denied I had, was begging me to give in. I knew what a snake he was, what a monster he was, yet something in his plea was genuine. And it scared me. Confused, I apologized quickly for having to leave.

"I'm sorry. I really have to go now. I'm very busy..."

As I rushed from the room, I glanced back. I could see his shoulders slump, but whether it was because he truly regretted not convincing me, or that he was just frustrated, I couldn't tell.

_Starstarstar_

"MacGyver!!" I caught him just as he was leaving. He turned to me, one eyebrow raised.

"I need to talk to you. Please!"

"Come with me."

I followed him out to a Jeep.

"Hop in!"

I climbed in cautiously. He donned a pair of sunglasses, started the engine, and drove off.

"Whaddya need?"

"Murdoc. You're right. He is dangerous. I need you to help me save my sister."

MacGyver scratched his head.

"I dunno what I can do, but I'm more than happy to try."

"Thank you so much..." I sat in silence for awhile, watching him drive. I wasn't sure I could put into words what needed to be said. Two days ago, he was practically a perfect stranger. Now, suddenly, he was a friend. Not only a friend, but someone I could turn to in a time of need. Now I understood what my sister saw in Murdoc... If only he had been as honest as MacGyver... I watched him drive, his hair messed in the breeze off the ocean. We were driving up the Californian coast now. It had just occurred to me I had no idea where he was taking me.

"Uhh, where are we going?" I finally asked.

"Somewhere..." Was his only reply. He grinned mysteriously and accelerated, sending me gasping for breath in the sharp wind.

Before I knew it, we were parked along what was decidedly the most beautiful stretch of coastline in the world.

"I just wanted to take you someplace to reassure you." Mac smiled. "No matter how dark things are, remember, what you see then is only a small part of life. Places like this? They make our world so much brighter. If you ever find yourself in a situation so dark you don't think you can find your way out, think of places like these, and they will light your way."

I found myself speechless. I couldn't fathom what had possessed him to bring me here, but the place and the time were right. I had come to a time when I needed what he had said more than I would ever know, and knew that times could only grow darker. As long as my sister's mind was so poisoned by Murdoc's lies... As long as I had to fight, both for myself and my sister, I knew I would need those words. And it comforted me. Knowing that someone in this world really cared about me, and that those feelings hadn't died with my family in our house, comforted me, gave me hope. Maybe all was not lost. Maybe we could overcome Murdoc and feel safe again. And maybe I could win back my sister's love and trust again.

_Starstarstar_

I had made a point to see MacGyver more and more often as the week progressed. He had touched me so deeply with such a simple gesture that I couldn't seem to shake him from my mind. I no longer simply ran to him to help when I needed it, but began to truly spend time with him. I gradually came to realize that, in some small way, I was gaining my life back. We spent most of our time just sitting, somewhere, be it his houseboat, or in the middle of some woods somewhere, talking about life. And somehow, I began to feel like a normal girl my age should.

But Murdoc had not gone away, and the time between my visits with MacGyver was just as full of worry as it had always been. Murdoc was beginning to catch on to my frequent absence. He knew I had made friends outside his sphere of control, and was beginning to linger in my presence. He was watching me now, and that meant seeing Mac was all the more difficult.

I found myself wondering just what went on inside the head of a person like Murdoc. If he was supposed to be so cold and heartless, why would he even consider spending so much time with my sister? He was acting more like a bleeding- heart than a murderer. And I began to wonder if what had lingered at the back of my mind for so long was true. What I had mistaken for some creepy obsession, somewhere, in the pit of his black heart, could possibly be...

Affection?

I didn't want to admit that possibility, because I knew, since the day in the game-room, that I was weak, and that all he had to do was start hissing in that snake- tongue of his, and I was as entranced as a rabbit in front of a cobra. He could talk me into anything, convince me of anything, and I was all but powerless to stop it. It had been a close call that day. I didn't want to get any closer. But if he was driven by pure lust, eventually, I would be backed into a corner, unable to refuse. And then what would become of my sister and I?

_Starstarstar_

Murdoc was sitting, head in his hands, in the corner of his rented apartment. Since MacGyver had lived, all luxury had evaporated in his life. It wasn't as if he didn't still have everything he ever could want, but until MacGyver was dead, there would be no returning to the country home in Britain.

Thinking about it, he realized, as he often did, that he was not completely satisfied with his life. He had gotten almost everything he ever wanted, when it all boiled down at the end of the day. But there was one thing he had never had. Phoenyx.

From the moment he saw her, standing on the street, holding her sister so close, fire blazing away, lighting up her face with an almost angelic glow, considering the hellish flames surrounding her, he had wanted her. Needed to see her again. If ever he had wished for something so good and pure in his life, it had been her.

For a lifetime he had justified hate, justified death, justified everything he had done, but he could not justify what went through his mind every time she entered a room. She was the opposite of everything he stood for. She would be the one to raise up even the smallest and weakest of men, whereas he would raze them down, clearing the path for only the strongest to survive. He being the strongest of them all... That is until he saw her on the street that night.

He had suffered only one weakness before in his life. He had fallen desperately for Penny Parker, and she had all but spat in his face. To be rejected by one so... expendable... He thought he had secured all the barriers in his mind. He didn't think it possible to be brought to his knees so quickly again. For a man who had never known love, or even kindness, he could not understand this sudden new weakness.

He would have Phoenyx. MacGyver wasn't involved this time. He couldn't turn her head. This time he would be successful. The girl was already beginning to see sense... At least, what he would call sense.

"I will have you, my love..."


	2. Part Two

MacGyver was sitting at the table on the porch of his houseboat, letting the sea breeze ruffle his hair. He was musing, as he often did. What was Murdoc up to? He wasn't about to make the first move, Murdoc was an imposing enough foe without provoking him. But he had to do something. Phoenyx needed him to do something...

Phoenyx...

She was the kind of girl he had only dreamt of. She was an angel. If ever he ended up settling in one place, giving up the nomadic life of adventure he so loved, it would take someone like that.

But he couldn't make a demand like that on her. He couldn't ask her for anything more than the friendship she was willing to yield. She was having enough of a difficult time with life as it was, but to have to struggle with something like love...

It doesn't have to be a struggle, Mac reminded himself sternly. It was only a struggle when you wanted to move on, when your itchy feet started begging to move forward...

But if she reached out, if she asked for more than his friendship, he would always be there. That much he knew. If ever the time came that she needed someone to be there for her, someone to love her, take care of her, he could be it. But only if she asked.

Mac sighed as the breeze died down a little. A seagull cried overhead. The water lapped idly against the sides of the houseboat. Only if she asked...

_Starstarstar_

Something was up. I knew it. I hadn't seen Murdoc in three days. I knew he was spending time with my sister, but three days without pestering me to know what was up, why I wasn't at breakfast, dinner, why I wasn't coming to fall at his feet and beg him to take me, stuff me full of lies, and make me "feel better..." That was odd. I began to wonder if he had gotten wind of MacGyver's presence. When that happened, I half- expected him to go mad. He was bent, after all, on killing him. If he found out about me... that would just fuel the fire. Fuel the fire... how ironic. I had crawled out of one, only to find myself smack in the middle of another. My sister and I had survived one devastating blaze, only to be caught up in another. Only this time, the blaze wasn't filled with smoke, but with jealousy and passion. One just as destructive as the other. And I began to wonder, would we, could we survive this one as we had survived the first. And if we did, where would we go? To MacGyver? Would he survive the raging flames? I knew he was resourceful, but could he escape the ravaging fire of impassioned hate?

Even if he did survive, I could never ask him for something like that. He had already aided me so much, more possibly than he would ever know. To ask him for more would be impossible. To ask him to risk death for me, then continue to demand if he survived... I could not. No matter what my heart told me.

I was beginning to see something in those dark eyes. A light shone there, that had not been there before. Whether or not I had helped kindle it, it was there nonetheless. Yet another fire burning, another addition to the recurring theme that seemed to define my life as of late. But I could never ask him. I could never demand such a high price for aiding me. He was a nomad, an adventurer. I could never live, not knowing where he was, if he was even alive. He was a friend, and I could never place so high a demand on someone so close. If he felt the way I did, he would come around in time. But I couldn't press it until he asked.

"Please ask..."

_Starstarstar_

"Phoenyx... May I come in?" Murdoc was standing at her doorway, looking unusually sheepish.

"If you must." Phoenyx snorted. He nodded in reply and entered, head bowed.

"I would like to talk to you, if you aren't busy." He was still looking at his feet, an unusual change from the confident arrogance that plagued him. He sat beside her on the bed, but made no move to be consciously affectionate. Phoenyx was stunned.

"I want to know something. Your sister told me you were behaving strangely. She's worried about you. You shouldn't do that to her you know."

He moved like a tiger, pinning her to the bed, with an enormous, jagged dagger poised at her throat.

"Who told you I was a murderer?" He grinned nastily. "They were right on the money, you know. But you shouldn't have told your dear sister. Pity the innocent are so... innocent. She, of course told me everything about your little conversation the other night. Well, poor thing. I, of course told her you've been feeding her silly stories because you're jealous of the attention. Good thing she bought it too, I really would hate to have to kill her. And that's a first for me. Regret, I mean. So, what do you have to say for yourself? Who told you? Or are you just so clever?"

At that moment, the door swung open.

"...Phoenyx?"

Murdoc's face turned a shade of grey Phoenyx wasn't sure was even possible until that day. His dagger slipped from his grip, narrowly missing Phoenyx's throat. He turned ever so slowly.

"MacGyver..."

"So now I know..." He whispered softly.

_Starstarstar_

Murdoc fled from the room before anyone was even sure how he had gotten out. MacGyver flew to Phoenyx's side, carefully swept up the dagger, careful not to touch the handle, and laid it on the bedside table. It glinted nastily in the lamplight.

"So I see he found out about me..." Mac said darkly.

"Mac, what do I do? I can't have him around my sister now! If I refuse anything he says, he'll kill her!"

"Just... sit tight. The only thing I can tell you to do for now is... do whatever he says. Don't make him angry, just do what he asks, and I'll figure something out. There has to be a way to get rid of him. I mean, cockroaches are hard to kill, but even they aren't impossible."

Phoenyx looked dully up at Mac. Whatever he asked. Murdoc had been waiting for this day to come for a long time, and she had just handed it to him on a silver platter. How could she even bear having to follow his every whim?

"I... don't think I can do that, MacGyver..."

"You have to try. I'm sorry it has to be that way, but you have to try, just long enough for me to get some sort of plan."

"MacGyver, you don't understand. I can't. You don't know what he would ask me... I can't do that."

Mac looked puzzled. He was vaguely aware of what he was sending her into, but he hoped he could save the situation before it was too late. But why she would be so unwilling to cooperate, even if it meant her sister's life... He had never seen someone so stuck to their beliefs, or worse, their fears. Any other thoughts as to why she would refuse to cooperate had not even occurred to him yet.

Phoenyx's green eyes grew dull with defeat. This was it. She would have to tell him now. Despite what she knew was the right thing to do, she knew she had to tell him.

"I can't do whatever Murdoc asks of me... Because I love you. You're my best friend, and I... I just can't do it! It would kill me, and..." She dropped off, looking pitifully at a spot somewhere around the tip of his nose.

Mac looked at his feet. One hand strayed to the laces of his sneakers, and he picked at it awkwardly. He bit his lip and slowly cast his eyes upward, to meet hers.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said. He reached out, taking her hand.

"I'm sorry I have to send you into the fire, but there's nothing I can do anymore. I won't make you go, but if you care about your sister, and I know you do, you have to put that aside and do what you know you have to do. You couldn't help her getting tangled in his web, but now it's up to you to get her out. I can't do that for you."

"I know..." Phoenyx said softly. "And I know I have to do this, but... I just wanted you to know first."

Mac nodded in silence, then turned away to think.

_Starstarstar_

I didn't want to think about what I was about to do. I had gone out of my way that morning making sure everything was perfect. Getting ready to set a trap. I knew full well that I was the bait, but I just kept pushing it aside. Pushing it down until it would pop back up again, like a beach ball you try to hold underwater. Eventually it gets the best of you and... Splash! It flies out of the water and hits you in the face. My thoughts were doing that to me now. Just when I thought I had them under control, there they were again, laughing in my face.

I finished painting my nails. Flame red, the bottle said. Flame red to fan the fire burning in Murdoc's desperately jealous, angry heart. Flame red to finally ignite the sparks in his eyes.

MacGyver would think of something. He would lure him away, then we could deal with our lives. I sighed as the gnawing pain returned to my heart. To save us all, I had to give away my soul and break his heart. And you thought there was no price to pay for playing games with people's hearts.

Finally, I was ready. I would go find Murdoc, see if we could have a little talk. See if perhaps whatever won him over in the first place could be rekindled, burning away his anger. I strode to the door, put on my best face of feigned confidence, and stepped out into the hall.

It didn't take me long to find him. As usual, he was lurking somewhere in the halls between my sister's room and my own. I smiled charmingly, and approached.

"M-Murdoc?" My voice faltered, but I pulled my composure tighter, and as he turned, I looked into his eyes. It was the first time I noticed how dark and deep they were. "I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"

He seemed stunned to see me there. Here I was, this angel standing before him, though I didn't know it then, giving him everything he had ever asked from me. I watched his eyes widen.

"What did MacGyver tell you to ask me?" he asked warily.

"MacGyver? I don't want to talk about him... I want to talk about you... and me... I think we may have had a little... misunderstanding... last night." I rested a hand lightly on his shoulder, gently pulling him back down the hall toward my room. He followed me, willingly, but a spark of mistrust still lingered.

"Are you sure this has nothing to do with MacGyver?" he hissed as I beckoned him into my room.

"MacGyver and I are... through. I had spoken to him a few times, he seemed interested, but when he saw you, lets just say he respects you enough to leave me alone from now on." I looked him in the eye, despite the urge to look at my feet. I couldn't stand to hear the words coming out of my own mouth. I banished the extraneous thought, and turned my carefully blanked mind on Murdoc.

He was scrutinizing me now, looking me up and down for signs of deceit. I had to admit, I was behaving more than a little oddly around him, but I had to do what I had to do.

"Sit down. Make yourself comfortable." I watched him take a seat, cautiously, at the end of my bed. I sat beside him, as close as I could make myself get. "I was thinking about what you've been trying to tell me lately, and I realized how terribly selfish I've been. It's not fair to my sister, and it's not fair to you for me to be so distant. I've decided to take you up on your offer. Perhaps we could have dinner sometime, just the two of us, to try and work out some plan to make sure Robyn is well taken care of from now on."

I knew he was fighting against his better judgment when he looked up at me. I knew he wanted to take me up on that offer so badly, but I also knew he was waiting for me to slip up. Waiting for me to give away some clue that I was lying to him, some clue that I was still in contact with Mac.

"Yes..."

"Thank you. I know I said some terrible things to my sister about you, but... I didn't know you before. I want the chance to get to know you now."

Murdoc simply nodded mutely. Somewhere in the depths of his brilliant but twisted mind, the gears were turning. If he knew I was the bait in some enormous trap, he showed no sign. He rose to leave, looking a little dazed.

"I'll see you later tonight then?" The question was so childlike, I was almost taken by surprise.

"Of course." I smiled. A ghost of a smile fluttered across his face, and he turned and beat a hasty retreat.

I sighed. Part one was over, and it had gone remarkably better than I had ever imagined it would.

_Starstarstar_

I showed up at the restaurant where I was supposed to meet Murdoc fifteen minutes early. I watched him come in, looking unusually nervous, spot me, then approach, a tiny smile flitting across his face. I returned the smile, still bewildered at how quickly he had trusted me, and how quickly he had seemed to forget that he was going to kill me. It seemed to me that a tiny white light, weak and frightened, had sparked in his eyes, and he was doing everything in his power to keep it alive.

He was speechless when he saw me, and for good reason. He had never seen me like this before. Of course I had put on a pretty face to convince him to talk to me, but he had never seen the likes of me now. I was standing before him, dressed to the nines, and looking like... someone from a television show, someone from a fairy tale, waiting to find their prince. My heart twisted in my chest knowing that my prince was at home, wracking his brain for a solution to our mutual new problem.

"Phoenyx... You look like an angel..." He finally stammered, taking a seat. I closed my eyes, mustered all the patience and courage I had in me, and began the act again.

_Starstarstar_

He had no idea what to make of the creature who now stood before him. She was an angel, pure and simple. It looked to Murdoc as if she had just descended from heaven on enormous white wings. She was radiating light, in her eyes, in her smile. How could this creature be false? He hoped to god she wasn't false. Funny, he thought, I never believed in a god, yet here I am praying... She brushed his hand, only an accident, as she reached for water. He almost died from the shockwaves that shot up his arm, and then ran themselves ragged through his spine. He had no idea how calculated every step of the seduction was. How planned and practiced they were. He couldn't know that everything Phoenyx had planned banked on the sole hope that somewhere inside the black void where his heart should be, Murdoc loved her. But every step was a lie. Every smile, every laugh, every sincere look she gave. She was a brilliant liar, and that was all. But Murdoc's mind would not allow him to believe that. Not for one instant. Sense could abandon the most sensible of men, and surely it abandoned Murdoc now. He had given all up for abandon, and was now falling, hard and fast, for the angel that now filled his eyes with light, and his heart with fire.

_Starstarstar_

MacGyver was sitting once more on the deck of his houseboat, this time staring up at the stars and wondering what in God's name had possessed him to send the one woman he cared so much about essentially to her death. If this charade wasn't flawless, the consequences would make themselves painfully clear in no time at all. He would go looking for her, only to find her gone, pictures of her last moments on earth plastered across her room. She would wonder where he was, and why he had failed, let her down.

"It's my fault, and I know it... but how do you stop a killer who can only be hindered by his own faults? The only fault I can find is Phoenyx, but I can't exploit this time we've bought much longer..."

In his heart, he knew that Phoenyx would have to do it. She would have to become everything that Murdoc had dreamed of, and then break his heart. But he couldn't admit that yet. If he couldn't come up with another way, who could? But the fact remained, if anyone could drive Murdoc away, it would be Phoenyx revealing her lie. He would still see her as an angel, still be unable to harm her, and his only choice would be to diminish, disappear. At least that's what Mac would keep telling himself, until he almost believed it. He would keep driving this into his skull, so that he might hold on to hope, as opposed to hearing, over and over in his head, "She's going to die and it's all my fault, she's going to die and it's all my fault, she's going to die and it's all my..."

A shooting star passed overhead, filling Mac's eyes with the memory of glittering light. He didn't want to reckon with the fact that soon Phoenyx's light might only be a memory too.


	3. Part Three

He let Penny Parker live. He could have killed her then and there. He could have. He let her go. He let her live when she told him he was insane. When she made it clear that he was nothing but a murdering fiend. He could have done it. But he let her live, and that's what Phoenyx had to keep repeating to herself as she sat, smiling idly across the table into the eyes of a madman. Risk all to save her sister. Risk all to prove her love. But Murdoc wouldn't kill her. She had to believe that. Even if he did see through the lies, he would spare her because he loved her. But Mac would never be safe. Murdoc had never stopped hunting him, not for one day in almost ten years. If this fueled his fire, there would be no escape, and it was becoming painfully clear to Phoenyx as she smiled away, that she would be the only line of defense that MacGyver would soon have. He knew it too.

"So… I suppose what I'm saying is that… maybe you and I should spend some more time together, make sure we stay on an even keel. It's just what you've been saying all along, really, that we have to make sure we keep in constant communication, both working for the same goal, the well-being of my sister. Don't you agree?"

She was feeling ill now. It was so difficult, so nerve-wracking to keep control of every little synapse. She had to control everything, right down to her eyes, locked on Murdoc's.

All the while, she couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for the man before her. He was heartless and a murderer, but he was still human, somewhere… She would be destroying him. And after she had worked so hard to keep her sister from the brink, she was driving him there all the while. She had seen the light of hope ignite in his eyes, wondered if it was hope for something better than a life of crime? Would she be able to crush it, and watch it falter and die? Or would she feel like she was killing something, too? This wasn't one of the questions she could run home and ask MacGyver, either. It was something she could only find out by actually doing it. Actually killing any goodness he had in him would be the only way she would find out if she felt like a murderer. Could she do it? She had no idea, but she knew, as MacGyver did, that she would have to strike the final blow to Murdoc's soul.

"So, what do you say? Tuesday, around six then? Sounds wonderful. And I'm sure I will see you tomorrow morning. Good night."

As he stood, slipped an arm around her shoulders, and led her to her car, she breathed a sigh of relief. So far, so good. She watched him hail a cab, then drove off, not back to the Challenger's Center, but as fast as she could to the docks, and MacGyver's houseboat.

_StarStarStar_

The knock on the door startled him. He hadn't been expecting company. He swung his feet (still in half- untied white sneakers) off the couch, and rose to answer whoever it was who was practically breaking down the door. He had barely turned the knob when the door swung open, dangerously close to his face, and a hysterical mass of red hair and black dress threw itself on him.

"Phoenyx?" He asked, eyebrow raised, attempting to comfort his obviously distressed friend.

"Guess again, MacGyver…" The redhead looked up. Instead of Phoenyx's pretty green eyes, a pair of round, brown ones gleamed up at him.

"…Murdoc?" MacGyver backed away suddenly, almost causing the unexpected guest to fall on his face in the doorway. Murdoc gave him a contemptuous glance, then whipped out his camera.

"Give us a smile, MacGyver. I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life."

"What are you here for, Murdoc? What did I do to you?" Inside, Mac knew it was a silly question. Murdoc needed no provocation, but if he could find out his motives, he might be able to talk his way out of things this time.

"Oh, I had a little visit from a friend of yours today, MacGyver. She tells me you are no longer… associated. I just want to ensure that you won't be in the future." He grinned, that eerie, joker-like grin spreading across his face.

"Murdoc, you don't have to do this. If you want me to stay away from her, I will. But I think we can be reasonable about things for once."

"Oh, you know me, MacGyver. I'm never reasonable. That's why I do so well in the business I'm in. The less reasonable you are, the farther you get. So, what do you say, MacGyver, are you going to fight like a man, or are you just going to stand there and let me shoot you? Come on, MacGyver, there's no fun in that! Pull one of your famous "MacGyverisms." Have some fun!"

Murdoc scrutinized MacGyver for a few minutes, grinning.

"You're not going to give me the satisfaction, are you? What's the matter? Can't think of anything clever to do with a paperclip, your shoelace, and a gum wrapper today? What about that swiss army knife of yours? Aren't you even going to try to defend yourself? Well, as long as you aren't going to put up a fight…" He thrust a pistol into Mac's grip. "We'll duel. Just like the old days. If I can't be reasonable, at least I can be honorable, right, MacGyver?" He laughed, a harsh bark to match the eerie grin, and turned, striding across the room.

It struck Mac as somehow ludicrous that Murdoc would be taunting him to stand up and fight like a man, much less urging him to duel like a gentleman, all the while standing in his living room in a dress… He stood, waiting for Murdoc to make his first move.

As he leveled the pistol, setting Mac in his sights, the door swung open once more. This time, the real Phoenyx was standing in the doorway. Both men turned to look incredulously as she strode into the room, snatched the gun from Murdoc's stunned grip, held a hand out for Mac's, then walked outside and chucked them both into the bay.

"I knew you'd come here, Murdoc." She said silkily. "I followed the cab. I may not care about MacGyver as deeply as you think I did, but he was still my friend, and I don't appreciate this." She was choosing her words carefully. She had rehearsed the whole way over, as soon as she saw Murdoc's cab driving out of sight toward the docks.

"You know, I thought you cared about me more than this. If you really felt anything, you would respect me, and leave the people around us alone, no matter how jealous and paranoid you may be. You want me to prove to you how I feel? You really need proof before you can trust me? I had hoped we would pass this point tonight, but I guess I was mistaken. You know it hurts, it really does. Fine. If you are so uncertain as to where my loyalties really lie…" She strode across the room, as determined as she could make herself, wrapped her arms tightly about Murdoc's neck, and kissed him. Mac looked almost horrified. She glanced up, beyond Murdoc's right shoulder, and gave Mac a look. He nodded, almost imperceptibly, and tried to compose himself.

After what seemed an eternity to both men, Phoenyx released her prey, letting him waver on jelly-legs for a moment, before mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like "Sorrymymistakewon'tletithappenagain." And scurried from the houseboat.

"I suppose I'll have to explain a few things to him tomorrow…" Phoenyx sighed.

"Like why you just showed up here?" MacGyver asked.

"Yeah." She looked at her feet. "I'm sorry for that."

"What? Hey, don't worry about it. I'll be fine. Just keep yourself safe. I'll be here when you get back."

He ushered her to the door, and watched her drive away.


	4. Part Four

It was going to be one of those days, Phoenyx could feel it. She was going to have to face Murdoc, and she had no idea what to say. She had tried to think of a plan, she had done everything short of writing a script to try to work out her explanation, but none came. The time was ticking ever nearer to breakfast, and she knew it could be the last breakfast she would ever eat. Her mind strayed now and again to MacGyver. What was going through his head right now? What was he thinking, and what would he do if she failed to explain her actions, if Murdoc killed her? Finally, with a resigned sigh, she slipped out of her room and took the long walk to her car.

_starstarstar_

He was standing at my car, leaning against it, sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose. My heart nearly exploded from fright seeing him there. When he saw me approaching, he straightened, and took off the glasses, slipping them into a pocket before reaching for my hand. I placed my hand in his, nervously, and I felt him squeeze it gently. He opened the door for me, watched me get in the car, then took the seat beside me. He said nothing until I had started the car and drove a few blocks.

"I'm sorry…" I barely heard him over the wind whipping by. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do anything to hurt you. But…" he dropped off, miserably.

"Penny Parker…" I said, simply. He looked up at me. "I understand why you did what you did. This has happened to you before." I was astounded at the words coming out of my mouth. I hadn't expected him to behave as he was, and I didn't expect to feel so terrible for him about it. I became suddenly aware that my hand had left the wheel and was touching his, gently.

"I just thought… I didn't want to lose you… I know you didn't think I really cared about you, but I do. More than you'll ever know. Do you know why I've hunted him for so long?"

"No." I said quietly. It occurred to me that I didn't really want to know.

"I saw him, and I knew. He was my polar opposite. But he had strength, and courage. Not many truly good people have that. He's like you. And at the time, I knew that he would be the greatest challenge for me to overcome, but I had to prove that I could. That I was, in fact, the strongest. Only now I'm not so sure. I've had to die a few times to realize that…" He chuckled, still the creepy, unsettling chuckle, but his eyes had changed. There was no harsh light of malice glinting there now… I turned to look out at the coast, and realized it was the same place MacGyver had taken me to, that first day in the car. I almost started to cry, but held back, mustering all my courage to face Murdoc again.

"I'm not just concerned about you for your sister's sake, you know. The first time I saw you, I loved you. I didn't even know I could feel like this. I tried to tell myself, when I found out about MacGyver, that I could use you to get to him, but I know now that I can't do that. Not to you."

I was having a hard time judging whether or not he was being truthful. If he was, he was exposing his greatest weakness. And if I had the courage to do so, I could exploit it. At the same time, if he was being truthful, I knew I could no longer do what I had to do, because he would be crushed. But if he were lying, that meant he knew about the trap we had laid, and he was using me even yet. Lulling me silently like a cobra does its prey, into a silence from which it would never awake. But my heart twinged for him, and what he must have had to suffer sometime in his life, to make him the person he had become. If this was his trap, I had fallen into it, I already knew, and the flames would consume me. But I had to continue, for the sake of my sister, my self, and MacGyver.


End file.
